After Rio+20: Preparing for Sustainable Retreat?
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Date
2013
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Publisher
Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i Geologicznych Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza
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Abstract
The industrial age has brought us much good: a higher quality of life which is reflected in better healthcare
and education, a longer life expectancy etc. But besides the indisputable benefits, the industrial age has also
caused many problems which are now assuming global proportions. In 1987 UN Commission on Environment
and Development attempted to propose how to enable people and whole nations to develop while sustaining
functioning ecosystems and healthy environment. The key term became “sustainable development”. But problem
with sustainable development concept is that it is so vague and “all-embracing”. Its biggest deficiency is
the fact that it fails to attempt to even define human needs. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
(Rio+20 conference, June 2012) did not change current unsustainable development trends. Therefore
we should allow for and ponder the possibility that effort at sustainable development will fail and the human
community will experience great civilization turbulence. Maybe it is too late for sustainable development, what
we need is a sustainable retreat. Our abilities are limited and promoting sustainable development may prove
to be beyond us. In comparison with our ancestors we have much greater opportunities. But this has not been
counterbalanced by greater responsibility and foresight. We should explore and study future opportunities and
dangers that could occur under certain conditions. These images of possible futures may help to make our present
decisions more qualified and responsible.
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Keywords
sustainable development, sustainable retreat, zero growth, Rio Summit, World Summit, Rio+20 Summit
Citation
Quaestiones Geographicae vol. 32 (1), 2013, pp. 55-60.
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ISBN
978-83-62662-62-3
ISSN
0137-477X